This disclosure relates generally to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to wire ball bonding in semiconductor devices.
In semiconductor packaging, wire bonding is used to electrically couple a semiconductor die to a lead frame or other elements within the semiconductor package. One type of wire bonding is a ball bond. In wire ball bonding, a ball is formed on one end of a metal wire using an electrical flame-off (EFO) wand. The ball is then bonded to a bond pad on the semiconductor die. The other end of the metal wire is then bonded to a lead or bond site on a lead frame or another element within the semiconductor package by way of a second bond (stitch bond). While wire bonding has served the industry well for many decades, improvements are still desired. One area of desired improvement is with aspects of intermetallic bonds.